Making Comics Master Link List!

Making Comics Master Link List!

Hey guys, I’m getting a lot of asks about the same things, mostly questions about how to make comics, how to “break into comics” (haha, oh dear), working with publishers, that kind of thing. I’ve done some blogging on many of the subjects, so instead of repeatedly replying in private with links to those posts, I’m going to do a master post thingie with links to all my blogging about how I work. Hopefully some of you will find some helpful nuggets in there! I remember when I first started trying to transition into making comics for a living, and there wasn’t much information about that online. I spent a lot of time wailing about it on a locked livejournal. XD But anyway, I hope my blogs help a wee bit.

Disclaimer: these blog posts are all based on my own personal experiences as a cartoonist, and the advice therein might not work for everyone. The most awesome thing about comics is that there is no one way to make them, nor is there one direct route into becoming a full-time cartoonist. The more pro cartoonists I meet, the more it drives home how different our methods and origin stories are. 

Anyway, here you are! (With all of these, scroll past the placeholder image at the top of the post.)

1) How I make my comics, start to finish (traditional penciling)

1A) How I make my comics start to finish, now with digital penciling!

2) Finding the art tools that are right for you.

3) Working with collaborators.

4) Acting in comics. 

5) The financial reality of a full time cartoonist. 

6) Making a successful graphic novel pitch. 

7) Adapting a prose novel to comics, part 1.

8) Adapting a prose novel to comics, part 2.

9) Very simple tips for drawing a comic that will be published.

10) Working with editors from a cartoonist’s perspective.

10) b) Working with editors from an editor’s perspective (by my First Second editor, Calista Brill).

11) On “Drawing Styles.”

12) Dealing with discouragement (this is probably the most popular thing I’ve ever written XD).

13) On Comic Conventions. 

14) On Being a Pro and Finishing that Comic When You Don’t Want To

15) How I Write My Comics

Okay, I think that’s it! Whew! The remainder of the Friends With Boys blogging archive is here. It has some other bloggings that aren’t advice-related (mostly ramblings about comics I like), if you’re interested. If you have any other comic-related subjects you’d like me to blog about, feel free to drop a suggestion in the ask box.

I hope this was helpful. Share and enjoy! 

Updated 08/12/15

Do you have any advice for someone who wants to get good at drawing? How did you get your own unique style?

I say, make friends with other artists, and find the drive to improve more as they improve in turn. Find artists you can look up to as a goal (whether dead or alive) learn from them. Read books and interesting stories and find inspiration in them.

Interedting, I'm going to look into this more.

so I downloaded a new art program recently

It’s called Krita. Maybe you’ve heard of it, but in case you haven’t, seriously, check it out! It’s really nice!

The best way I can describe this program is that it’s a combination of Easy Paint Tool SAI and Photoshop. And the best part is the program is completely free to download from their website. I think what I like most about it is that not only does it have a Stablizer like SAI does, but it has practically all the tools I ever use from Photoshop. Not saying it’s going to replace SAI or PS for me (at least not yet; I’m still learning my way around Krita lol), but it’s probably the only thing I’ve ever found that is coming close to doing it.

I put some screenshots under the cut!

Keep reading

For later...

new art challenge

draw the squad like this:

Day 13 "Inner Demons" - this one ended up really sketchy, I wish it were a planned drawing, because I really like the concept. It needs color to look right, I think. It's a body holding a head with the spinal cord attached. It's like my OC person, based off of a meditation session with some spirits.